Frayed Ropes and Blood
by starlitsmile
Summary: When women involved in the arts go missing, the team is called in. But turns out the women all have one deadly connection, and it might just cost a certain member of the BAU his life. Total casefic, a bit Reid-centric later on. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

---- I love the show Criminal Minds, and hope this folds out kind of like an actual episode…Enjoy… ----

_Germantown, Wisconsin._ _Jessica Bail is a famous author. She is holding a publishing party for her new best-selling book. There is champagne and lots of distinguished people, plus loud music and laughter._

"I'm just going to step outside for a smoke," says Jessica to her guests. "Of course! And congratulations once more on your success." replies the man she was formerly talking to. Jessica walks to her sliding glass doors and steps out onto her porch that leads off into a huge backyard to match her huge house.

Jessica takes out a cigarette and lights it. She puts it in her mouth and takes a drag. Suddenly she hears someone behind her, she turns around. Jessica hasn't seen the person in ages, but she smiles. "Millie, are you having a nice time? It's so good you could come."

Millie doesn't reply. Instead, she just hits Jessica Bail, renowned author, over the head with a rock.

_(Theme song)_

**May your home always be to small to hold all your friends - Irish proverb**

Quantico, Virginia

"Her name is Jessica Bail, she's written four books. On Friday night she was throwing a party - her friends say she went out on her porch for a cigarette. Jessica never returned." JJ explains. "This is the second woman to go missing in less than a week. On Monday, Patricia Cornwall was hosting the opening of an art gallery. She went to go to the bathroom and didn't come back." JJ stands in front of the team, briefing them on a new possible case.

"Well there's your victimology. Women involved in the arts." Morgan points out. "It could easily be a sexist male." Emilysuggests. "Have any bodies been found yet?" Hotch asks. JJ shakes her head, "No, and the city is in quite an uproar." "Both these women lived in the same place?" Reid inquires. "Yes, just blocks away." JJ replies.

"Let's get the jet," Decides Rossi.

_Germantown Police Department_

"I'm really appreciative that you've come down here so quickly. Mrs. Cornwall and Ms. Bail are very talented and loved women - everyone just wants them to come back." Victor Deluchi, the chief of polices, thanks them all.

"Well this is our job." Hotch replies, "Did these women know each other?"

"I guess they would have met…you'd have to talk to their families." Mr. Deluchi answers. "Morgan, Prentiss, go to the Bail household. Reid, look at what the team here has already come up with. Rossi, we'll go talk to the witnesses - JJ, do you think you could keep the press off this?" Hotch instructs.

"It's going to be hard - these women were celebrities!" JJ responds, "A painter and a writer…" Reid murmurs to himself.

----- I know it's short and badly written….I hope it'll get better…I won't update this until I get a review, because I want to see if anyone would like to hear more… ------


	2. Chapter 2

---- This chapter is more than likely going to be short. Oh, well, sorry…Enjoy, all the same! ----

**Let us realize that the privilege to work is a gift, that power to work is a blessing, that love of work is success. - David O. McKay **

"Jess was such a good girl…who would harm her?" Mrs. Bail, Jessica's Mother, bawls as Emily tried her best to comfort the woman. "Mrs. Bail, are you aware another woman around your daughter's age went missing just last week?" Morgan interrupts.

Mrs. Bail nods, still sobbing, "It's so awful…they were so close!" Emily and Morgan share a look, "Mrs. Bail, what do you mean?" Emily inquires.

Jessica's Mother sits down on the couch and motions for Prentiss to do the same, "Patricia and Jessica have been friends since they were little. Grew up together." She sighs, "Are you saying both women have lived here there whole lives?" Morgan asks. "Why, yes. Margaret – Mrs. Cornwall – and I raised our children together – and they've never left."

"Which means…" Prentiss looks at Morgan, "Do you think it's possible the unsub knew them?" "Unfortunately, I do." Morgan agreed. Mrs. Bail gave out a cry, "What do you mean?!" but neither agent had much of an answer for her.

***

Meanwhile, half an hour away, Rebecca Mowiere-Thompson was playing cello for a friend of hers, who was singing. Rebecca wasn't usually doing such little jobs – she was good at playing her instrument, and even had a CD of classical pieces she had played. But Tia was a good friend, so Rebecca filled in for the missing cellist.

When the performance was over, Tia smiled, "Thanks Becca. I'll see you later?" "Yeah, sure sure." Rebecca replied and got into her car. By now it was six and raining really hard. Rebecca could hardly see so she stopped at a restaurant. She called her boyfriend to let him know she'd be late before getting back on the road.

By the time she got home, it was ten o' clock. The journey should have only taken thirty minutes to get home. Rebecca sighed irritably and fished around in her purse for her keys. "Becca," a voice from behind whispered, so silent Rebecca didn't hear, and then again, "Becca!" Rebecca spun around, scared out of her skin, and then smiled, "Oh Millie what –" but she never finished her sentence.

***

Reid looked outside to where the rain poured down. "It's interesting, you'd think by now a body would have shown up." "Our unsub isn't killing them." Rossi commented. "Then why is he taking them?" Hotch wondered.

Just then, Police Chief Deluchi joined them, "There's been another kidnap." He said.


	3. Chapter 3

----- Ok, this is coming along slowly…I just have so many ideas running through my head and kind of want to start a Reid/OC romance fanfic…why am I telling you all this? Here's the story you want!!! -----

**If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world. - J. R. R. Tolkien **

"We're looking for a man in his late twenties to early forties." Hotch begins, "Someone who would fit in with the artsy gallery openings and book signings." Morgan adds. "All three women lived in the area, so it is highly possible these women knew the unsub or had seen him before." Emily continues. "Due to all three victims being female and involved in the arts, we believe he may be sexist. Look for someone who was rejected from an art school, having a book published, or getting their own concert." Rossi puts in.

"The good news is this type of unsub usually has a mission, so he probably plans his attacks and won't continue killing after he has fulfilled what he believes to be his duty." Reid says.

"Three women have been kidnapped but not one body recovered. Therefore there is a reason he's keeping them. Possibly some sort of revenge." Hotch finishes.

The rest of the police nods and then proceed to go back to their work.

"Hotch, Mrs. Bail said Jessica and Patricia went to school together." Emily tells her boss, "So?" Hotch inquires. "We just got a call. Rebecca went to school with them too." Morgan concludes.

All the agents looked at one another. "Did Mrs. Bail mention what school they attended?" Rossi asks, "If they were friends all through their life then wouldn't they have gone to at least three schools?" JJ points out. Reid looks up from reading the paper on which Morgan had scribbled the school's name. "No, actually, it looks like they went to the same private school from grade six and up." He corrects. "What about before that?" Hotch questions. "Homeschooled." Morgan replies.

"Who was the principal when they attended?" Emily asks, "The same man as it is now." JJ says, "Reid, Rossi, go talk to the principle. See if there was anything…different, about these girls." Hotch instructs.

***

_Alberta Plaine Private School for Ages 10 and Up_

Reid and Rossi walk through the school building. They've been walking for what seems like ages.

"Ask a kid for directions," Rossi orders. "I'm not asking a kid for directions!" Reid protests. "Do you want to find the office, or do you want to walk around lost?" Rossi challenges. Reid looks around a little helplessly before spotting a young boy getting a drink from the water fountain, "Excuse me, which way to the principal's office?" he inquires.

The boy looks up at the two agents, "You mean Mr. Ancient? That way," he points. "Thank you – and I believe his name is Mr. Anchyent." Reid responds. The boy looks at Reid skeptically, "Reid, it's a nickname. Don't tell me you never made fun of your teachers?" Rossi looks at him oddly.

"Actually, no. Did you?" Reid says, Rossi rolls his eyes, "Oh brother," he mutters.

***

_Mr. Anchyent's office_

"Good afternoon. I'm agent Rossi and this is Dr. Reid. We're working on a case and were wondering if you could help us." Rossi introduces themselves. "Why certainly!" Bellows Mr. Anchyent, who indeed does look as old as the hills.

"Um, we're investigating the disapearence of three of your former students and were wondering if you remembered them? Jessica Bail, Rebecca Mowiere-Thompson, and Patricia Cornwall – then Patricia Harlow." Reid tells him.

Mr. Anchyent shakes his head sadly, "Why, who could forget them? Such a horrible thing that they're dead."

Rossi and Reid share a look, "They're not dead, just missing." Rossi corrects. "Agents, you know the case better than I do, but let's face it – kidnapped means dead."

"Actually the statistics for people being found after kidnapping are somewhat high, especially as your age rises –" Reid begins and then stops as he is given a look.

"Can you tell us absoloutely everything about these three women while they attended your school?" Rossi prodded.

"Sure can. They were friends from the very first time they came here – already knew each other. Startlingly beautiful…they always had girls wanting to be their friends and boys always wanting to be more than friends…Smart, too, and gifted. Art, music, writing, acting." Mr. Anchyent says.

"How many girls were there?" Reid inquires, "Well the three missing – and two more…Nina Tonova and another one, less noticeable she was…Millicent Beck!" Mr. Anchyent nodded, pleased with himself for remembering.

Rossi flipped open his phone, "We have two new potential victims…" he said to Hotch before adding, "And maybe suspects."


	4. Chapter 4

**There are no limitations to the mind except those we acknowledge. - Napolean Hill**

_The Tonova-Lambert Household_

Morgan knocks on the door of the house that belongs to their new 'person under surveillance'. They couldn't really call her a suspect or next victim. They hadn't met her yet.

A tall and regal-looking woman answers the door, "Nina Tonova?" asks Prentiss, "Yes. Well, that's my maiden name. I'm Nina Lambert now." The woman replies. She looks fearful, "Does this have to do with my friends?" she asks. Prentiss and Morgan both nod, "I'm afraid so," says Prentiss.

"How did you get my address? Can he…find me too?" "Ma'am I assure you, we have a computer whiz back in Quantico. This unsub can't track you down. What do you mean by he?" Morgan responds. Nina is still fretful, "Oh dear," she murmurs, "You'd best come inside."

***

_The Beck Household_

"I heard about my friends…but I'm not in danger, am I?" Millicent, in contrast to Nina's worried behaviour, is sitting on the couch with Hotch and Rossi on a different couch across from her. She's offered them tea but they've declined, so she's drinking a cup instead.

"Ms. Beck we aren't sure. Have there been any occurances lately that might lead you to believe that you could be kidnapped next?" Hotch inquires. "Could I?" Millicent counters, "We don't know." Rossi states.

"Ms. Beck, how long have you known the women who have gone missing?" Hotch questions. Millicent presses her lip into a thin, firm, unsmiling line. "I have known them since we were little." "How little?" Rossi wants to know.

Millicent fidgets, "Oh, I don't know – we were kids! Make mud pies, skip jump rope, average young girls. We were best-friends."

"And you dominated." Hotch adds. "Pardon me?" Millicent raises an eyebrow. "You and your friends. You were special. Weren't you? Everyone loved you. You were a group."

"Group, sure. Loved, though?" Millicent shakes her head.

***

"There was…a man. His name is Mike Finbuckley. He always…followed us. Jessica dated him when we were in high school, and he didn't get the hint when she dumped him. He went after Pat, but she was already engaged to Duncan Cornwall. Becca was always afraid of him. So was I. We all were." Nina informs them.

"Nina, have you seen him around lately?" Prentiss asks. Nina's face droops, "No I…I haven't seen him since my wedding." "Your wedding?" Morgan says.

"Yes. He…followed us to the airport. Said he'd be waiting when I got back. But he…wasn't."

"You never reported him for stalking?" Prentiss inquires. Nina shakes her head, "Should I have done?" "Prentiss, I'm going to call Garcia. You stay with her," Morgan decides and motions towards Nina.

***

"You've reached sunshine girl, how may I help brighten your day?" Garcia greets Morgan from the other end of the phone.

"Baby doll, I have a name for you to look up." "Shoot," "One Michael Finbuckley." Morgan tells her.

In just moments, Garcia has all the information she can find. "Let's see…he married a woman named Lisa Site before divorcing her just six months later however not before getting her pregnant as he has a son named Alexander…Three months ago he bought a house only forty minutes away from Germantown…Ahh, sorry sweatheart but he's not your guy. He died from an overdose just two weeks ago. Prescription medication." She finishes.

"Before the last two women ever went missing," Morgan sighs.

***

_Germantown Police Department_

"It's odd, Principal Anchyent said the girls were a much-adored clique but Millicent claims they weren't popular at all." Reid points out. "How did Nina Lambert act?" Rossi asks Morgan and Emily.

"Distraught. Scared to speak incase she was next. Upset her friends had been taken. Confused." Morgan replies. "That's how I'd act if my best-friends since I was eight had gone missing." JJ says.

Something clicks inside Hotch's mind. "And how wouldn't you act?" he wonders. Reid thinks for a second before coming up with an answer. "Self-assured. Calm. It'd just be another story on the news. You'd be worried but not affected in any way."

Hotch nods, "So what changed to make Millicent Beck act like that?"


	5. Chapter 5

--- This will probably be the last update for a while as I have tests to study for and my Twilight fanfic too. Thanks for the reviews! ---

**No one has yet fully realized the wealth of sympathy, kindness and generosity hidden in the soul of a child. The effort of every true education should be to unlock that treasure. -- Emma Goldman**

"Have I got news for you!" Garcia proclaims when JJ answers the phone. "One second let me put you on speaker." JJ replies.

The team is still at the police station, staring at the wall where they have pinned up all the missing girls' pictures.

"Ok. Millicent Beck's mother, Gwendolyn Beck, was the one who homeschooled the girls. The other Mothers let her because Gwendolyn used to be a schoolteacher until she was stripped of her license when Millicent was only two of indefinable causes." "Why would the other Mothers entrust their children's schooling to a woman who wasn't allowed to teach?" Morgan questions.

"Garcia we need to know why Mrs. Beck was forbidden to teach at schools." Hotch says, "I'm on it." Garcia replies and then the phone goes dead.

"Where do you suppose Gwendolyn Beck is now?" Rossi asks, "If she died that could have been a trigger," Emily proposes. "Does that mean Millicent Beck is a suspect?" Reid inquires. The group shares a look.

And then – "Make sure both Nina and Millicent have police watching their houses." Hotch radios Police Chief Deluchi.

***

"Please let us go!" Jessica Bail begs. "Can you hear us? _Millieeee_!" Rebbeca Mowiere-Thompson yells. "Where are we?!" Patricia Cornwall groans.

The three women's ankles and wrists are bound and all three of them are tied to one another around the waist, making it impossible for them to get comfortable. They're in a room that is dank, dark, and cold. They don't get food – only water, and only when their captor remembers to find them. "Is anyone even looking for us?" Patricia, the woman who has been missing for the longest time, starts to weep quietly. "Yes," promises Rebecca, "Yes they are."

"But…what about Nina?" Jessica whispers.

***

"Guys listen to this," Garcia is back on speaker phone, "Gwendolyn Beck was kicked out of schools for good because she was rumored to hit her students however she wasn't given the boot until one little girl suffered a broken arm."

"So why would Mrs. Bail, Mrs. Tonova, Mrs. Harlow, and Ms. Thompson subject their daughters to this woman?" JJ repeats Morgan's previous enquiry. "Ten bucks she never told them." Garcia wagers. "We've got to go talk to the Mothers." Prentiss says. "Home visits will take to long. Just bring them in." decides Rossi.

***

In the end, the parents of all the girls – except Patricia's Father, who died of a heart attack long ago – show up at the station.

"How do you think they'll take it?" mutters Reid to JJ as the parents dribble in. "Not very well." JJ reasons.

"We called you in to ask you about Gwendolyn Beck, your daughters were all homeschooled by her until they were eight." Hotch begins. "You don't think it was her, do you? It couldn't have been. Last I checked she was in a nursing home with Alzheimer's." Mr. Mowiere says.

"Originally we thought this had something to do with women in the arts but now it seems as though this unsub is specifically targeting your daughters." Prentiss tells them. "Did any of you know that Mrs. Beck was abusive to her students?" Morgan continues. "Gwen was sweet as sugar. She never gave Jess a single scratch." Mrs. Bail argues.

"So none of you did know?" Rossi presses. All the parents shake their heads. "Why did you choose to homeschool your daughters in the first place?" Hotch has to ask.

"That's just it. If this is about our choice of education, then why haven't they gone after my sons as well?" Mr. Tonova inquires. "We all decided to give homeschooling a try. That's all." Ms. Thompson answers the question asked by the agents.

"Why did you stop?" Reid asks, "Well, Gwen had a baby. Simon. She had to look after him so we enrolled the children in school, and they just liked it so much they decided to stay." Mrs. Harlow explains.

"So tell us about your daughters high school experience. Were they athletic? Did they go out on dates?" Morgan asks. "They were the life of the party. Outgoing and spirited." Mrs. Bail replies. "All five of them?" Emily says. "No. Millicent stopped being their friend in grade ten. I never understood what the fight was about." Mrs. Tonova responds.

"I think we have all we need." Hotch finishes.

***

"Good afternoon agents. You've come again?" Millicent Beck answers her door, looking boredly at Rossi and Prentiss.

"Why didn't you tell us that they dumped you during tenth grade?" Rossi grills Millicent, not even waiting to be invited in. "Why? Is the fact that I spent the rest of high school being made an outcast by the girls I'd known my whole life somehow extremely important to you?" Millicent says blandly.

"What was it over?" Prentiss asks. "Goodbye." Millicent decides and shuts the door. "Ms. Beck open up this door immediately!" Rossi orders. "Millicent you are making one hell of a suspect, you know that!?" Prentiss shouts.

Millicent opens up the door again, "Suspect me all you want, but you can't arrest me." She slams the door this time.

"We can get a warrant," Rossi warns. Millicent's scoff can be heard, "I'd like to see you try!" she yells.


	6. Chapter 6

----- What do you think of the story? To predictable? It will probably be over soon…please review and let me know how you feel about it! ----

**The bird a nest, the spider a web, man friendship. -- William Blake**

"I wonder why Millicent Beck was excluded from the group…" Reid ponders, mostly to himself. "It was probably just some stupid fight they never got over." Morgan replies. "I don't think so…Millicent Beck does pottery. She was with them before they could even spell their names. You just don't drop each other so quickly." JJ adds in.

"Garcia, do you think you could find any information on Millicent that might lead to a big fight?" Reid asks into the computer, where Garcia is on webcam. "You mean like gossip?" she grins, "No I just mean something that would be really scandalous and could get all her friends mad at her." Reid corrects. Garcia looks up from her research to give him a look, "Reid, what do you think gossip _is_?"

***

"What do we do now?" Prentiss turns to Rossi. "That's easy. We wait." He answers. "You really think she'll come back out?" Prentiss raises an eyebrow. "She will if she wants to go to her victims." Rossi replies.

***

"Hey, would you look at this." Garcia says. "What is it?" JJ inquires, as she, Morgan, and Reid crowd around the computer.

"Well, all the girls went to church when they were younger. Very religious. Right?" Garcia checks, "Yeah, I guess so. What's that have to do with anything?" Morgan questions. "Don't get ahead of yourself, my love. I have on my screen the wedding license between Millicent Beck and Adele Leslie." Garcia finishes.

"Any divorce papers?" Reid asks, Garcia shakes her head, "None appear."

"Hotch!" JJ calls. Hotch, who had been talking to Police Chief Deluchi, comes to join his team with Deluchi following behind. "What is it?" Hotch says. "It seems as though Beck is married." Reid responds, "To another woman." Morgan adds.

***

"Really. Ok." Rossi replies to the news Hotch tells him. Then he hangs up his phone. "Millicent Beck had a wife," he tells Prentiss. "Had? Well what happened, did she die?" Prentiss questions.

"No. Adele Leslie is missing too."

***

"Millie please! I thought this was over!" Rebecca shrieks. "It was never finished. You four made my life miserable." Millie snarls, her voice coming out of seemingly no where. "W-where's Nina? You didn't…" there's a gap where the word 'kill' should be, "…did you?" Patricia fearfully whispers.

"No! But I'm just waiting…waiting…waiting…" Millie's voice fades away.

***

Outside Nina Lambert's house, there are a few undercover cops. Nina's one child, Gabriel, is at kindergarten. Nina herself is with a client, busily tailoring and sewing away at a dress. This is what she does. It's not strictly artsy like her friends chose – drawing out the clothes, cutting and sewing the fabric, selling it to people – and she wasn't anywhere near famous.

But it was a start.

"Millie," she smiles, looking up at her friend, "I'm so frightful, aren't you? With Jess and Pat and Becca all disappearing…"

"Do you ever get out much, Nina?" Millie asks. "Not these days." Nina replies with a laugh.

"Come for a drive with me. We can go out for lunch. You'll be back in time to pick up Gabriel from school." Millie convinces Nina.

"Oh…" muses Nina, "Oh alright."

***

"I've got some not so pleasant news for you." Police Chief Deluchi frowns. The team – except Rossi and Prentiss, who were still at Millicent's house five hours later – was still trying to figure out the mystery. Had Millicent's homosexuality been enough to earn the girls' hate? And had the girls' hate been enough to lead her to kidnap them, all these years later? Talk about holding a grudge!

"What is it?" Morgan asks.

"Our unsub isn't Beck. Nina Lambert was just reported missing. She hasn't come to pick up her son, isn't answering her cell phone, and cannot be found anywhere." Deluch concludes.

"I thought we had police watching the house!" Hotch exclaims. "We did. And we have a license plate." Deluchi replies. "Well then who is it?" JJ inquires.

Deluchi frowns, "That car was reported stolen eight months ago."


	7. Chapter 7

**In our culture, we have no relationship with not-knowing. But not-knowing is the essence of receiving. -- Mary Saunders **

"_Nina!" her friends all shrieked. "Oh my goodness…you're alive…oh!" Nina cried. Her friends nodded, "Why is Millie doing this?" they asked her. Nina shook her head, "I don't know…I don't know."_

***

_Beck Household_

"Thattt sucks." Prentiss frowns as Rossi tells her about Nina's disappearance. Rossi walks up to Millicent's front door, with Prentiss following behind him.

When he knocks, Millicent answers. "Let me guess," she says boredly, "I'm not the person you're looking for."

"No. But we believe you are the unsub's next victim." Rossi replies. Millicent shakes her head, "A few months ago, Adele and I got in a fight. She went off during the night and I figured she just got mad and flew the coop. But then do you know what happened?" she tests. Rossi shakes his head, "No. We don't." he answers.

Millicent smiles sadly, "I got a note. Not from her - from Millie."

"Millie?" Prentiss asks, "Who's she?"

"Mildred Farmer. She's the one who first learnt I didn't like girls in the same way as everyone else. She made my life hell," Millicent gives a bitter laugh, "Those girls I thought were my friends were disgusted by me. I never liked _them_ as anything more than friends, but they flattered themselves, of course." Millicent shrugs.

"What did the letter say?" Prentiss inquires. Millicent looks at Emily sharply, "That she was sorry. That she would make it up to me. And that she had taken Adele…for herself."

"She knew how it felt." Rossi concluded. "Yes. And she had to repent. It was her fault I don't have any good memories of high school. Now she's fixing that in the best way she can." Millicent agrees.

"If you knew Mildred Farmer was the unsub the whole time -" Prentiss starts in. Millicent shakes her head, "That's the thing. I just figured it out. Mildred moved out of this town a while ago and she just came back two weeks ago…right before the kidnap." finished with helping, Millicent shuts the door.

"We have to get back to the others." Rossi decides, "Do you think she'll call Mildred? Warn her?" Emily worries, "I don't know. But staying here won't help."

***

"That was interesting, apparently Millicent Beck knows who our unsub is." Morgan says, repeating what Prentiss had called to tell him.

"Does she know where they are?" JJ asks. "No, but the woman's name is Mildred Farmer." Morgan responds. "I'll call Garcia." Hotch decides, and in a moment she's on speaker.

"Looks like Millicent was right, Mildred just moved back in to Germantown, and just purchased a cozy little nook. It seems like she only moved in to Germantown when the girls would have been in grade nine…her Mother had just died." Garcia informs them.

"New girl in town, just her and her Father…she needed to fit in." Morgan sighs, "So she picked the most popular group in school and figured out how to get in with them." JJ adds. "Mildred and Millicent must have been close – first Millicent tells Mildred her secret, then when Adele goes missing Millicent doesn't tell the police she knows where she is, and even now Mildred feels guilt for what she did to Millicent." Reid speaks up.

"Garcia, what's the address of Mildred's house?" Hotch inquires, and in return Garcia reads out an address.

"I know that place," Police Chief Deluchi says, "But it's to small to keep four women hidden. There's only three rooms."

"Is there a cellar?" Reid asks. "Well I guess so. Most houses here do have a basement of some sort." Police Chief Deluchi replies. The team shares a look.

"JJ, phone Prentiss and Rossi and give them the address. Reid, go check and make sure Millicent Beck hasn't gone anywhere." Hotch orders.


	8. Chapter 8

**Find the seed at the bottom of your heart and bring forth a flower. ****- Shigenori Kameoka**

Reid knocks on Millicent Beck's door. She answers it quickly, as if she had been waiting on the other side. "Here again? What is it that you people want?"

"I'm FBI agent Spencer Reid. May I come in?" Reid inquires, ignoring the woman's sour mood. "Not without telling me why I should let you in!" Millicent snaps. "Ms. Beck, if we locate the missing women we'd likely find Adele and the person who made your life a nightmare would be locked away." Reid replies.

Millicent glowers at Reid. He's not _that_ much younger than her – around the same age as her brother, she figures.

"Fine," she huffs, and pulls him inside.

***

The entire team – except JJ who stayed at the police department and Reid – meet in front of Mildred's address.

They sneak up to the house and Morgan bangs down the door. They stream into the house, "Clear!" Emily yells as she looks into one room. "Clear!" Hotch calls next and then Rossi too, "Clear!"

The local police and the BAU team push through the door and run down the cement steps into the basement, only to find nothing in there – nothing but frayed ropes and blood.

"We're too late." Prentiss says sadly.

***

Reid hung up his phone with a frown.

"Something wrong?" Millicent asks, uncaringly. "Yeah, actually. Can we just pretend something for a second?" Reid suggests. Millicent shrugs, "Try me." She says dryly.

"You and Mildred were friends but she was just using you, the whole entire time you were just being used as a ploy so she could get closer to the group. When you found out, you were mad, and humiliated." And then, on a very un-Reid-like whim he adds, "So tell me NOW where Mildred took you when the two of you just wanted a space to be!"

Millicent raises an eyebrow, "Temper tantrums aren't going to get you anywhere, Mr. Reid." She chuckles. "It's Dr. Reid." He corrects. Millicent smirks, "Listen. Wherever Mildred and I went is old business. It doesn't matter now."

"Actually, it does. The other agents weren't able to locate the women at Mildred Farmer's home." Reid informs her.

"Really? What a shame. Tell me, _doctor_, what do we have to pretend?" Millicent mocks him. "I want you to close your eyes and pretend you're going to wherever Mildred took you. Describe it." He says.

Millicent shuts her eyes.

***

"A cottage?" Hotch asks. "No more like a cabin…but not in the woods kind of _just_ out of the way." Reid retells. "Reid the place we're at has three rooms and is far from other homes. Where other places are there like that?" Hotch tests.

Still in Millicent's house, Reid gives her a look. She sighs and snatches Reid's phone, "It was a storage unit!!!" she shouts before pressing the off button hard. She grins evilly at Reid. "You know what the funny thing is, _doctor_?" her eyes are lit up with horrid gleefulness.

Reid shakes his head, a bit worriedly. "That Mildred and I both go by Millie." She laughs.

---- Can somebody review please? I'd just like to know if this story is ok so far. Thank-you! ---


	9. Chapter 9

**Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it. - ****Helen Keller**

Reid presses the buttons on his cell-phone desperately, all to no avail. "Looks like your battery is low," Says Millicent patiently, "And that's your third try. Come, now." She smiles sweetly, full of confidence that he'll come.

And why shouldn't she be confident? Millicent stole Reid's gun and holds it to his head now, his legs tied together by his own two hands, something she made him do. Then she was 'nice' and gave him three chances to alert his team something was wrong.

Now her sweet and innocent smile turns into a mad, evil, twisted grin. Reid stumbles up and onto his feet, a worried frown enveloping his face. Millicent grabs his arms and ties them up tightly before grabbing his cell, dropping it with a clatter onto the floor, and jumping on it.

Reid flinches.

"In to my car, and don't you dare make a fuss." She hisses, the gun pressed into his back hard. As he's lead outside, Reid asses the area. There's no one around for him to yell to anyway. Not in his immediate line of view. So he keeps silent, hoping somehow, someway, he'll be found before it's to late…that it won't be like last time he was kidnapped.

***

"A storage unit? Hotch, there's gotta be tons around. We'll never be able to find it." Morgan reasons. Prentiss looks down at the cell phone in her boss's hand, "Why hasn't Reid called back?" she thinks out loud.

The three agents give each other worried looks.

"JJ, Rossi, head over to Millicent Beck's. Morgan, get Garcia on the phone, see if there are any storage units fitting Reid's description. Prentiss, try calling Reid." Hotch orders.

JJ and Rossi jump into the SUV and both Morgan and Prentiss dial numbers into their cell phones.

But neither of them get anywhere. "Hotch, like I told you, there are no single storage units like that. There are about fifty but –" "It would take much more than a day to look through all of them." Hotch finishes grimly. "And my call won't even go through." Emily shares.

"What do you mean?" Both men ask. Emily sighs, "Every time I call it just tells me the number is no longer in service."

***

Reid's head hurts like hell and he can't figure out why. He opens his eyes uncertainly to find himself slumped over in the trunk of a car. Reid touches his bound hands to his head and finds blood. He grimaces and tries to heave himself up, but it's hard to do.

He does eventually make it up, his sight blurred by all the dirt on the back window of the car. He could have sworn he saw one of his team's SUVs drive by with Rossi at the wheel…

"Get down!" Millicent's voice rings out shrilly, noticing him, and she waves the gun from the steering wheel to scare him. Reid ducks down, trying to free himself, but it's impossible. The best he can do is tug at the frayed ends of the ropes.

***

"Wait a second." JJ requests as Rossi speeds ahead to Millicent's house. "What." Rossi doesn't even look over, "You guys said Beck drove a green van, right?" "Morgan might have mentioned it once, yes." Rossi agrees.

"Well I just saw Reid. In the back of a green van." JJ informs Rossi. Rossi looks over at her this time, "Can you still see the van?" "No," she admits. "Do you think we could catch it?" "No," she sighs. Suddenly Rossi does a u-turn and begins to speed in the other direction, swerving around cars and busses, receiving middle fingers and the honking of horns from many.

"Do you think we could catch it now?"

***

"You realize we got this unsub's profile all wrong." Prentiss sighs. "Well not altogether. We said someone who lived in the area, was in their twenties to forties, and could fit in at art galleries. True, we got the sexism thing wrong and the fact that she isn't male, but we did alright." Morgan argues.

"But that's just it. How could Millicent Beck fit in at these women's parties? And how could Mildred Farmer be looked over? Why was she never even mentioned before?!" Prentiss frowns.

"Because," Hotch announces, "We didn't take into account the idea that both Mildred and Millicent are partners. This always appeared as a one-person crime."

"And it's not? For sure?" Police Chief Deluchi cuts in. "For sure." Hotch states.

***

Nina, Patricia, Rebecca, and Jessica are dizzy and can't really remember anything. "Where…" Patricia groans, and then her eyes pop open, "SOMEONE ANYONE HELP HELP!" she screams. "Silence!" Millie scowls and smacks Patricia hard.

Patricia curls up and begins to whimper. Nina, Jessica, and Rebecca – she notes – are all awake and yet remain inactive.

They had been lead through the forest last night, getting bites and scrapes and stings and falling down many times until at last reaching a large house. It had been Millie's at one point, Patricia remembers it well and remembers it fondly.

But in the basement, now inhabited by disgusting animals and creepy crawlers, Patricia feels no hope. This isn't the Millie she knew, and in the back of her memory, and idle thought fills her mind: This wasn't the only Millie she knew.

"Millie," she whispers sadly, "I'm sorry." But she isn't speaking to her captor. All the same, the other Millie hears and she cackles. Then with a snarl she exclaims, "It's too late now! Too late for apologies!" she waves her hand in the direction of a coffin.

Patricia cowers so Millie grabs her by the hair and drags her over to the coffin, with Jess, Becca, and Nina watching solemnly and helplessly. But Patricia doesn't blame them. Not even a tiny bit.

"Open it!" Millie demands. Shaking, Patricia does before giving out a terrified scream and getting another smack in the head. Because inside that coffin lies a bloody and severed head. And although Patricia doesn't know who it is, she's sure that her fate and her friend's fates will be the same.

However, it is Adele Leslie's head she is looking at.

***

"Simon," Millicent says, "I'm sorry about your life." "I'm not Simon…I'm FBI Agent Dr. Spencer Reid you know that please Ms. Beck this can be different…" Reid speaks fearfully.

He's on his back, still tied up, laying on the ground in the dirt in the middle of the woods. Millicent looks down with an expression of odd glee on her face.

"No. Too. Late." She disagrees, pointing his gun at his heart.


	10. Chapter 10

--- Thanks to those who reviewed. Merry Christmas! ---

"Wait! Wait, wait. Tell me one thing first. Are any of the women dead?" "That's not any of your business Simon," Millicent answers. Reid licks his lips, not sure if she was delirious or doing this to freak him out.

"Wh-why did you take them?" he presses on. "They had to be killed off together. I'm not heartless. Not like them. I'd never make them feel alone. Not even in death. I'm better than them. You know that!" she exclaims. "Yes, of course I do." Reid nodds like a bobble-head doll.

"My brother, I won't kill you alone, either." She smiles. "I – I – what did he do wrong?" Reid stares up at her. "He?" "Me," he corrects himself, "Why must I die?" "Everyone hates me like this, Simon, but it's who I am! You were Mom's favourite. Always." She reasons. Reid searches his memory and a disturbing fact comes up. Simon had been pronounced dead some months ago. That's why they could never interview any family member. He shivers – Millicent had been the one to 'discover' her brother's body.

"Where will you take me?" Reid asks, as he spots two familiar faces.

***

JJ and Rossi spot Millicent tugging Reid out of the car and throwing him to the ground, "Park here, so she won't run." JJ says. Rossi nods and parks. They both get out of the SUV and begin to make their way over, discreetly, so Millicent won't notice. Both of them have guns, but neither wear their bullet-proof vests.

"Are we going to call her now?" JJ whispers, "No, listen…" Rossi replies. The two agents duck behind a fallen tree and eavesdrop.

"Where will you take me?" came Reid's voice, "You'll see. Now move!" "I can't I…" there was a noise as Millicent untied his feet and then a scramble as she led him off and into the forest.

JJ already had Hotch's number dialed and now she presses call, "Hotch, we found Beck and Reid. They're on the move."

***

"Who's first?" Mildred asks with a gut-wrenching laugh. The four women curl up more, shaking with fright and whimpering.

"Mil-Mil-Milieee no, no, no!" Jessica pleads. "I never said it was time – we have someone missing!" She hisses. "Who?" Nina's voice comes out quietly. Mildred shakes her head, "Who wants to go first?" she repeats, ignoring Nina's enquiry.

"I…I do. Me. I want to go first, Millie." Rebecca speaks up boldly. Mildred grins. She grabs Rebecca's wrist and pulls her over to the cement wall.

"Millie please don't do this! Don't harm Becca!" Patricia shouts, "Shut up!" Mildred roars, and smashes Rebecca's head against the wall.

Rebecca falls to the ground; limp.

"I thought it wasn't time yet," Jessica gasps, tears running down her face.

***

"Here we are," Millicent announces, opening the door to Mildred Famer's one-time home. Reid stumbles into the house and Millicent slams the door behind him. As she does so, she glowers, not liking what she sees in the distance.

"You brought friends," it's not a question but a statement. "No I…I don't know them." Reid denies. "You're an FBI agent, and so are they." Millicent points out, recognizing Rossi.

"No! No!" Reid backtracks, "I'm Simon, don't you remember?"

"That's impossible," Millicent declares, "Because I killed my brother already!" and then she pushes Reid down the stairs, and heads outside with his gun.

***

Morgan, Prentiss, Hotch, and some of the local police department stand just inside the beginning of the forest, where JJ had called them ten minutes before.

"Where do you think they are?" Police Chief Deluchi asks.

In the distance, a gun shot rings out.

"I think I have an idea," Morgan replies.


	11. Chapter 11

----- Last chapter? Maybe, I haven't decided…….hope you like it! -----

**Like the in breath and the out breath. You gather the light and then you give it out. That's just the way it works. ****- Nancy Rivard**

Each of their heads snap up with question in their eyes as Reid tumbled down the first couple of stairs before picking himself up.

"Who's there?" Mildred grunts, looking up the stairwell. Reid clears his throat, nervous, injured, and fearing for his life. "I – I'm FBI Agent Spencer Reid. Nobody move." He responds, trying to fit some boldness into his shaky voice.

"So nice to meet you, Spencer," Mildred replies sarcastically, "But why are you here?" "Save us! Help us!" Patricia shouts, hope beginning to stir in her heart.

Mildred reaches into the back pocket of her jeans and Reid finds himself looking down the barrel of a gun once more. "You'll come down these stairs and sit nice and easy, and if you've got yourself a gun you'll happily hand it over. Now!" Mildred demands. Reid looks over to Patricia, Jessica, and Nina – cowering and huddling together. And then he spots Rebecca's lifeless form.

"You killed her?" His voice is quiet.

"I said," Mildred speaks up, "_Now_."

***

JJ and Rossi flung themselves out from behind the trees, right into Millicent's line of view. "Millicent Beck put down the gun!" Rossi orders, both his and JJ's guns trained on her. "No backup?" Millicent asks, a bit let down, "No fight? No fuss?"

"Ms. Beck!" Rossi barks.

Millicent looks down at the gun in her hands. "You guys know?" she inquires, thoughtfully. "Ms. Beck we aren't here to chit chat. Put down the gun." Rossi repeats. "You know about my homosexuality. Hey, blondie, what do you think about that?" Millicent steers her gave over to JJ.

JJ clenches her teeth, despising being called blondie. "I think," JJ replies coolly, "That what you do with your life is entirely your decision."

Millicent cocks the gun's trigger, "You wouldn't laugh at me if you found out I'm a lesbian?" she inquires. All eyes are on JJ, "No," she eventually answers, "It doesn't matter if you're hetero, homo, or bi. It just matters about who you are as a person."

Millicent gives a dark laugh, "Guess I should have been friends with people like you when I was a kid," she says. Then she raises Reid's gun to her head.

And fires.

***

Morgan, Hotch, Prentiss, and the rest sprint through the woods, eventually stumbling though an overgrown path and turning the corner just in time to see JJ and Rossi clambering up to the house, stepping around Millicent Beck's fallen body.

"We're behind you," Hotch radios them both. The only acknowledgement is a slight nod of JJ's head. Rossi pushes the door of the house open as JJ follows, with the team and the local PD a bit further back.

"Hello! Reid!" Rossi shouts as he makes his way in.

Another gunshot went off in response.

***

Reid was walking down the stairs, slowly as he possibly could, when the gunshot rang out.

"Hurry up!" Mildred hisses, as the women all flinch in terror. Reid licks his lips, "Mildred what are you doing? Out there someone just got shot; why are you killing them? Maybe you'll get a feeling of content but then the urge to kill will just become more and more frequent. In cases like yours you have a certain goal but then thing just get completely out of hand and it turns out –"

"GET OVER THERE!" Mildred screeches, cutting off Reid's genius babble.

Reid steps off the last stair and then, in a moment of bravado, he tries to grab Mildred's arm and pull her to the ground. The element of surprise is on his side, but Mildred has just as much body-power and jerks her arm, pulling the trigger of the gun she holds.

The bullet goes astray, spiraling into the stairs. A startled shriek comes up from the women, all clutching one another with terrified tears springing from their eyes.

***

In one quick move both Rossi and JJ are rushing down the stairs into the basement, their guns pointed out in front of them, to where they are positive they'll find Reid, Mildred, and the victims. Hotch, Prentiss, Morgan, and Police Chief Deluchi follow them, with the rest of the cops staying on the main level, looking out just in case.

Reid still has one of Mildred's arms in his grasp. Now he reaches out for the other one but she fights him off, pointing the gun straight at him once more.

"Let him go, Mildred. Millicent is dead. This won't do anything." Hotch speaks, his tone grim.

Mildred looks up at the group with hatred in her eyes and pushes Reid to the ground. "Fine," she spits, "Killing the FBI, that'd be something, wouldn't it? But he'd be in the line of duty. _They_," she spins around, directing the gun on the kidnapped women, "Now they'd make a story, don't you think?"

"All the attention would go to the women, Mildred. They'd be the victims, not you. You just want to make this right. Just want to get Millicent's story known. Don't shoot anyone. Put the gun down." Hotch directs.

Mildred lowers her arm, deliberating. On the floor, Reid watches, not able to help.

Then she point the gun at the women once more, "The only way to make it right is kill them. Millicent would want me to." She explains, getting ready to fire. "Don't do it!" Morgan interjects, "You spilled her secret. You made her life hell. It all came down to you."

"You're right," Mildred agrees with a sigh and puts the gun under her chin. "Ms. Farmer just put down the gun and I can get your story known!" JJ promises.

Mildred's eyes light up. She leans down, beginning to place the gun on the ground. Then her gaze lands on Reid.

"You remind me of Simon," she murmurs.

No one can stop her.

She fires.


	12. Chapter 12

---- Thanks a million times for the review and support! This last chapter is for all the readers and reviewers!! ----

**Taking away rules leaves you with perfectly-ordered chaos - Anonymous**

A collective gasp comes from the team, the kidnapped women all cower again, and Reid rolls out of the way just in time.

All the same, Rossi's reaction is automatic. When the unsub aims at your partner, you aim at the unsub. And that's just what Rossi does.

Of course, spending year after year on the job and encountering many times needed to shoot, Rossi's aim is good. And if he had aimed to Mildred's brain or heart, or anywhere really vital, she'd be long gone.

But he aims for her right hand which holds her gun, and he hits, and Mildred drops the gun – indeed, dropped the the ground – with a startled, painful cry.

Morgan runs over to Reid, "Are you ok man?" he asks, and Reid nods. "Yeah…come on, those women are more hurt than I am!"

And although Reid had needed to drop to the ground in order to save himself, he now reaches out, takes Morgan's outstretched hand, pulls himself up, and walks over to the victims.

"Where are the medics?" Reid inquires, finding Rebecca's slumped-over but not yet lifeless form and leaning over her awkward, not sure whether or not to move her.

"On their way," Hotch calls out, while placing a pair of cuffs around Mildred's ankles as he is unable to put them around her wrist, due to her bullet-wound which will need medical attention.

Patricia Cornwall looks up with wide eyes, "We're ok…the rest of us are ok…but there's a body – a, a, a head –" she can't finish her sentence, pointing over to where Mildred revealed her handiwork just minutes before.

JJ nods and makes her way over to the coffin, opens it up, and flinches. "You guys," she says.

Morgan looks over JJ's shoulder. "How much do you want to bet that it's Adele?" he asks grimly.

"Are you hurt in any way?" Prentiss questions Jessica, Nina, and Patricia. They shake their heads but Prentiss pulls Hotch aside, "I think they'll still need to go to the hospital. Just in case." She states, "And they'll probably need a hell of a lot counseling besides," Hotch mutters.

***

_Germantown Police Department_

"So we found them, baby doll. We'll be back before you know it." Morgan says into the computer, filling in Garcia via webcam. "Miss you until you're here with me, sweetcheeks." She replies.

Reid and Emily sit a little bit away from them, "So did you hear? Rebecca didn't make it." Emily frowns. Reid nods, "I just…I can't help thinking…" "What?" Emily asks. "Well, I was bullied all the time in school. But it just…it made me want to prove I could do better I just – I don't see how Millicent and Mildred thought the murders could make things right." He explains.

"Well Reid, I mean, who knows why killers do what they do? It's just…they're different in the head." She responds. "Yeah. Maybe. But, really, we're all different in the head, right? So what if killers…what if they're the only ones who aren't? When you take away all the adornments what you're left with is the fact and that fact is –"

"Reid," Prentiss cuts in before Reid can begin a lecture, "It's just how things are."

Hotch and Rossi stand, looking out at the rest of the team. "Should I have killed her? Maybe it was wrong, but I couldn't kill her. I thought she needed a chance." Rossi speaks, suddenly. "As far as I'm concerned you stopped her from shooting and didn't take her life." Hotch replies. "But did I make the right decision?" Rossi repeats, mostly to himself. "I think so, Dave." Hotch says truthfully.

Police Chief Deluchi comes up behind them suddenly, "Thanks for helping us solve this case. Most of those girls got home safe, and that's all you can ask for." He thanks them.

JJ looks up from where she was sitting, "We'd better get going," she announces, and everyone agrees.

As they leave for their hotels in order to pack, Morgan gives a laugh, "So I guess we know the unsubs really favour you, huh, Reid?" "Shut up," Reid protests. The rest of the team laughs too, "How many times is that now?" JJ inquires.

"Gruesome to think we can joke about kidnapping while this town lost a cellist," Rossi points out. The team sombres for a second.

But then they just have to laugh, because they're happy they solved the case, and they're happy Reid wasn't shot.

**Nobody ever died of laughter – Sir Max Beerbohm **


End file.
